The
Chavin culture is names after the old town of Chavin de Huantur
and began in Peru about 1200 B.C. The Chavin culture possesses
certain distinctive Old World features.
The
Chavin cat-god is widespread and resembles the cat-dog found
at Bubastis in the Egyptian delta. The design of a man between
two cats is also widespread. The ‘Keeper of thee Cats’
was an important deity of the ancient Sumerians to whom he was
known as Mishi, Tas, Tashia and Ishi. The design is found also
in India, the Middle East, Egypt and the Mediterranean countries
and is very similar to that found elsewhere in South America.
In
lower Egypt there have been dup up two gold pots whose patterns
appear clearly and without any ambiguity to reproduce a cob
of maize of the variety known as popcorn.
Both
Peru and the Old World notables were carried around in litters.
Both the Sumerians and the Incas held the rainbow as sacred
and the kings of both wore artificial fringes on their foreheads.
Many figures or ducks were found resembling the Babylonian weights,
as standard talent being in the form of a duck.
One hundred
and fifty miles north of Cuzco, a stone tablet bearing these
twenty-two incised characters was found. An almost identical
tablet was found in Bolivia. The Verrills believe this to be
an Old World inscription.
The
pattern of this 18th dynasty Egyptian cup resembles the popcorn
variety of maize.
From
The God-Kings and The Titans by James Bailey
